Google’s Russian subsidiary plans to file for bankruptcy, according to a Google spokesperson, a decision made after the company’s bank account was seized, making it nearly impossible to pay employees and vendors.
A note in the official Russian register Fedresurs also confirmed the new development.
The note said that Google’s subsidiary intended to file for bankruptcy and, as of March 22, anticipated an “inability to fulfill its monetary obligations,” including severance payments, compensation for current and former employees, and timely mandatory payments.
While Google has stopped selling ads and most other commercial activities in Russia, the company said its free services such as Gmail, Maps, Android and Play would remain available to Russian users.
Google and the Russian government have been locked in an endless battle since the country’s invasion of Ukraine. While Google failed to promote and disseminate information from state-sponsored news channels, Russia restricted access to the company’s services.
In April, a television station owned by a sanctioned Russian businessman claimed to have seized 1 billion roubles ($15 million) from Google for failing to restore access to its YouTube account.